24 - Climate strategy: mitigation of GHG emissions and co-benefits of adaptation / contribution of agriculture to climate goals

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Programme director:

Objective

To provide the agricultural sector with tools and highlight paths that enable it to achieve climate strategy targets. Authorities, agencies and other stakeholders have access to better data which enables them to objectively evaluate progress in implementing the climate strategy at national level and to formulate concrete targets post 2030. The Swiss agricultural sector is supported in implementing GHG mitigation measures.

• Specific objectives

  • Develop and study mitigation measures for GHG emissions from cultivated mineral and organic soils and from livestock systems and evaluate their effectiveness and practical feasibility.
  • Provide an approach for modelling of soil-borne nitrous oxide emissions and soil carbon footprints at national scale that takes account of current soil and cropping data.
  • Annually review and further develop the methodology for the national GHG emissions inventory for the agricultural sector.
  • Evaluate the suitability of sites for field crop and forage production under future climate conditions.
  • Evaluate the importance of climate risks for both adaptation and the cycles (C, N, H₂O, etc.) that ultimately control greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Model-based assessment of the co-benefits of measures for adapting agriculture to climate change and mitigating GHG emissions.

Expected outcomes

The Swiss agricultural sector can implement meaningful and economically sustainable measures to mitigate GHG emissions. An important scientific contribution is made to achieving the agricultural climate targets, especially though better management of GHG sources and sinks at farm level, sustainable soil management, further progress towards the objectives of site-adapted agriculture, a greater awareness of the co-benefits and trade-offs, a revised basis for developing agricultural policy, a contribution to the further development of systems research, and the increased resilience of agricultural systems to climate risks.

Projects

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